The Employer Handbook: Week in Review Podcast (April 21–25, 2025)

Now you can listen to The Employer Handbook—check out this week’s podcast recap!

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TL;DR: I’ve turned this week’s blog content into a short podcast episode using Google NotebookLM. If you missed a post or want to catch up while multitasking, you can now listen to the highlights on the go. 🎧

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If reading legal blogs isn’t your thing every day of the week—or you just want to squeeze in a recap while walking the dog or driving to work—good news: this week’s blog posts at The Employer Handbook are now available in an audio format. Tune in to the “Week in Review” podcast to hear about:

What’s Covered This Week:

• $225K Later: When Ignoring Disability Concerns Costs More Than a Round of Beers – The EEOC settled an ADA lawsuit with a New York brewery that allegedly removed two bartenders with disabilities from the schedule after they provided medical clearance to return to work. One had cancer, the other a seizure disorder. Instead of exploring accommodations, the company allegedly ignored medical documentation and failed to engage in the interactive process.
• Performance or Pretext? Why the Court Didn’t Buy the Bias Claims – A senior executive alleged age and disability discrimination after his termination, but the court credited the company’s explanation: dissatisfaction with the executive’s leadership and a failed business model, not bias, drove the decision.
• Can an Executive Order Undermine Title VII? Trump’s Latest Move Tests the Limits – President Trump’s recent executive order directs federal agencies to deprioritize enforcement of disparate impact discrimination claims, a legal theory that targets facially neutral policies that disproportionately affect protected groups. While the order doesn’t eliminate the doctrine, it marks a significant shift in federal civil rights enforcement priorities.
• Shoe Me the Law: ADA Lessons from a Dress Code Dispute – A new dress code required specific footwear, but an employee’s need for modified shoes due to a foot condition triggered an ADA lawsuit. Employers must honor existing accommodations unless they are formally reviewed and revoked. Uniform policies don’t override ADA obligations, and skipping the interactive process can lead to legal trouble.

You can listen to the episode here.